1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a machine tool, and more particularly to a machine tool including a tool changer or tool changing mechanism for suitably and stably and smoothly replacing and changing tool elements to a working spindle and for allowing the tool elements to be stably and smoothly and effectively replaced and changed with each other.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Typical machine tools comprise a disc or tool carrier or cartridge including a number of adapters or tool mounts for removably and changeably carrying or supporting tool members thereon, and for selectively or changeably supplying or feeding or fitting the selected tool members to the working spindle of the typical machine tool for changing the tool members from one to the other.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,776,081 to Okunishi et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,762,594 to Hoppe, U.S. Pat. No. 6,102,840 to Xiao, U.S. Pat. No. 7,387,600 to Sun et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 7,594,882 to Xiao disclose several of the typical tool changers or tool changing mechanisms for machine tools each also comprising a disc or tool carrier or cartridge including a number of adapters or tool mounts for removably and changeably carrying or supporting various tool members thereon and for supplying or feeding or fitting the selected tool members to the working spindle when required, and for allowing the tool elements to be stably and smoothly and effectively replaced and changed with each other to the working spindle of the machine tools.
However, the typical tool changers or tool changing mechanisms for machine tools failed to provide a stabilizing structure or mechanism for stabilizing the tool cartridge and for allowing the tool members to be stably and suitably changed and fitted to the working spindle.
The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the afore-described disadvantages of the conventional tool changers or tool changing mechanisms for machine tools.